One Love? Multicultural Marketing
Multiculturalism. It’s been a business buzzword since the late 1980s. Socially, it’s the new Americana: Diverse hues and communities building on common ground. For business multiculturalism is about fulfilling the shared desires of all consumers while tailoring brands with enough cultural relevance to simultaneously reach multiple communities.
But in reality, multiculturalism doesn’t exist in America, at least not yet. True multiculturalism requires two factors: integration and equal footing among communities. And besides, certain parts of NY, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and California, most of America remains deeply segregated with many areas currently re-segregating. People are also divided even further by income, religion, politics, etc. Consequently, everything most Americans learn about communities outside their own comes from the media and entertainment industries, neither of which are interested in telling the truth.
Now a certain amount of multiculturalism has been created by interracial and intercultural relationships, friendships, and alliances of varying types. But I’d say less than 20% of such experiences have been based on respect, love, understanding, and community. I believe that most of our multiculturalism has come from generations of consuming ethnic cultures in commoditized forms (music, fashion, entertainment, slang, sex, etc.).
Again, the mechanisms and infrastructures thru which culture are shared (music, fashion, entertainment, politics, etc.) are controlled and defined by one group; so there is no balance of power between those spreading culture and those whose culture gets spread. Consequently, “blackness” isn’t dictated by blacks any more than “Indians as mascots” was dictated by Native Americans any more than Ricky Martin’s or J. Lo’s success was dictated by Latinos any more than Lost in Translation/American Idol’s William Hung, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle/Asians as innately-tech-savvy-no-driving-bell-curve-breaking-kung-fu-kickers, etc. was dictated by Asians any more than hula dancing for tourists is dictated by Native Hawaiians. Just as the conquerors write the history books, mainstream America defines its culture along with everyone else’s.
We also have to recognize the role of social blowback. Consider this 2004 quote from Maryland’s Governor Robert Ehrlich: “I reject the idea of multiculturalism. Once you get into this multicultural crap, this bunk, you run into a problem.” (The Governor was speaking out against bilingual education for Hispanics and minorities for whom English is a second language). Today, millions of Americans who echo Ehrlich’s sentiments that multiculturalism simply means multiple ethnicities speaking the same language while accepting mostly white America’s view of history, aesthetics, etc. as the absolute truth. (Go U.S.A.)
But in reality, multiculturalism doesn’t exist in America, at least not yet. True multiculturalism requires two factors: integration and equal footing among communities. And besides, certain parts of NY, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and California, most of America remains deeply segregated with many areas currently re-segregating. People are also divided even further by income, religion, politics, etc. Consequently, everything most Americans learn about communities outside their own comes from the media and entertainment industries, neither of which are interested in telling the truth.
Again, the mechanisms and infrastructures thru which culture are shared (music, fashion, entertainment, politics, etc.) are controlled and defined by one group; so there is no balance of power between those spreading culture and those whose culture gets spread. Consequently, “blackness” isn’t dictated by blacks any more than “Indians as mascots” was dictated by Native Americans any more than Ricky Martin’s or J. Lo’s success was dictated by Latinos any more than Lost in Translation/American Idol’s William Hung, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle/Asians as innately-tech-savvy-no-driving-bell-curve-breaking-kung-fu-kickers, etc. was dictated by Asians any more than hula dancing for tourists is dictated by Native Hawaiians. Just as the conquerors write the history books, mainstream America defines its culture along with everyone else’s.
We also have to recognize the role of social blowback. Consider this 2004 quote from Maryland’s Governor Robert Ehrlich: “I reject the idea of multiculturalism. Once you get into this multicultural crap, this bunk, you run into a problem.” (The Governor was speaking out against bilingual education for Hispanics and minorities for whom English is a second language). Today, millions of Americans who echo Ehrlich’s sentiments that multiculturalism simply means multiple ethnicities speaking the same language while accepting mostly white America’s view of history, aesthetics, etc. as the absolute truth. (Go U.S.A.)
Steal my culture; try to make it yours (there they go)…
—Mos Def
—Mos Def
